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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: mark · kick · pitch · tube · rest · mouse · land · capital

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. capital — money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. tube — a container
  19. kick — in football
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. capital — a big letter

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