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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 116 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: bear · lie · hand · pitch · fan · march · capital · pass

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitch — completely
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. capital — a city
  10. hand — help
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — money
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. march — music
  24. capital — a big letter

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