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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 120 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: leaves · capital · bay · content · pitch · spell · game · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pitch — completely
  4. capital — a city
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — a short time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. game — a match
  17. content — happy
  18. spell — magic
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. capital — money
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. leaves — of a tree

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