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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 116 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: capital · can · pitch · hand · club · drill · key · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hand — in cards
  3. drill — a practice
  4. club — a group
  5. key — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — money
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. drill — army training
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — for a lock

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