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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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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 · wound · lie · pitcher · pit · lean · can · track

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — a city
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a path
  22. lie — to recline
  23. track — a song
  24. can — a tin

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