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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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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: bulb · pitch · tear · capital · scale · rest · foot · craft

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. capital — a city
  6. tear — from crying
  7. capital — money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — a skill
  10. scale — in music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. tear — to rip
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rest — a break
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bulb — for light

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