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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: sharp · can · march · wind · pitcher · dip · capital · ball

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wind — moving air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ball — a dance
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. march — the month
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. dip — to sink
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. capital — a city

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