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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · face · land · hide · dip · present · firm · pitch

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. present — the time now
  3. capital — a city
  4. face — to confront
  5. land — a country
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — a company
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — a gift
  17. land — ground
  18. present — there
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. firm — steady

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