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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: sharp · court · lean · cabinet · pitch · capital · lash · nail

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a city
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lean — to bend
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — of law
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. court — of a king
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — thin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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