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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 · capital · pass · face · ground · board · date · fine

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ground — a position
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. board — a committee
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. board — to get on
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fine — all right
  18. face — part of the head
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. face — to confront

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