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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 120 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: pitcher · present · bulb · ground · chip · capital · stand · fine

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ground — crushed
  3. present — a gift
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — high quality
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — all right
  13. capital — money
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ground — a position
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. present — there
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. capital — a big letter

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