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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: wound · track · hide · capital · object · pitch · stick · court

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. capital — money
  9. pitch — completely
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — to protest
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. capital — a city

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