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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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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: leaves · cell · stick · capital · lash · bank · pitch · club

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. capital — money
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — for golf
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. capital — a city
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — a group
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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