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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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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: wound · lash · pitch · snap · firm · capital · bay · court

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. court — for sport
  5. capital — a city
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. court — of law
  8. capital — money
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — steady
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. firm — decided
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. firm — a company
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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