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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 · nail · leaves · capital · saw · pitch · snap · ruler

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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