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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: capital · lie · fork · scale · pitch · row · safe · rush

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. row — a line
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. capital — money
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — a big letter

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