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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · staff · bear · pitch · dip · mark · trunk · capital

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. capital — a city
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — money
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. trunk — of a car

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