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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · pit · club · fine · suit · track · capital · row

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — clothes
  4. capital — money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — in a race
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. club — for dancing
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fine — all right
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. club — for golf
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com