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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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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: date · pitcher · ruler · capital · fork · club · pitch · safe

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pitch — completely
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. date — the fruit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — for golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — in a road
  19. club — a group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ruler — for measuring

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