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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.

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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: hide · track · stand · pitch · dip · safe · capital · key

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stand — to bear
  11. track — a song
  12. key — in music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a path
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. capital — money
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitch — completely
  23. dip — to sink
  24. key — the most important part

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