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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · sharp · capital · suit · scale · rule · rock · root

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rule — government
  3. suit — clothes
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitch — completely
  6. scale — size or range
  7. capital — a city
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. suit — to fit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rock — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. capital — money
  17. rule — a law
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rule — to rule out

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