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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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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: snap · capital · fork · wave · track · pitch · bear · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. capital — a city
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. capital — money
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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