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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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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: track · fine · pitch · band · cue · capital · spell · pass

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — a path
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cue — for pool
  7. band — a ring
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cue — a hint
  12. capital — money
  13. pass — a permit
  14. track — a song
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. band — a music group
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fine — all right
  24. spell — letters

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