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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 116 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: tear · capital · root · row · ball · object · craft · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. object — an aim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. capital — a city
  8. root — of a word
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitch — completely
  11. object — to protest
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. root — the cause
  17. craft — a skill
  18. object — a thing
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — boats
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. tear — to rip

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