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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: bay · nail · land · pitch · mouse · saw · capital · deal

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. capital — money
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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