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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: pitch · pit · racket · board · scale · bound · bear · capital

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bound — obliged
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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