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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · pitch · cue · land · wave · club · rush · scale

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. club — a group
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. land — ground
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fall — the season
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cue — a hint

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