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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: lean · chip · pitch · lie · spell · object · capital · cabinet

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — magic
  15. object — to protest
  16. capital — money
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to rest against

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