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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: pop · pitch · plane · hide · capital · fall · patient · mate

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitch — completely
  4. capital — a city
  5. pop — to visit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — music
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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