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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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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: straw · capital · pitch · vault · bowl · charge · suit · foot

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. suit — in cards
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitch — completely
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. capital — money
  20. vault — a safe
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. suit — to fit
  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