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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: capital · cue · deal · spell · pitcher · wake · ground · pit

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — crushed
  9. capital — a city
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ground — a position
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — to handle
  23. capital — money
  24. deal — a big deal

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