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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: capital · rule · straw · rest · stick · ground · patient · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ground — a position
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. capital — money
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rule — government
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rest — what's left
  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