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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: pitch · game · ground · fork · capital · bowl · kick · bulb

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. game — a match
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. capital — money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. kick — in football
  16. capital — a city
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ground — crushed
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ground — the earth
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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