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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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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 · capital · mouse · object · racket · file · suit · board

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — a thing
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — completely
  13. capital — a city
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. object — to protest
  18. file — a document
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — to get on
  21. object — an aim
  22. suit — to fit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a line of people

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