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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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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: lie · pitch · club · can · capital · dip · degree · root

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. capital — a city
  6. club — for dancing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. degree — an amount
  16. root — of a plant
  17. club — a group
  18. lie — to recline
  19. club — for golf
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. capital — money
  24. dip — to dunk

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