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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: firm · arm · pitch · snap · club · capital · pound · tube

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitch — completely
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — for dancing
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tube — a container
  14. pound — a weight
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — for golf
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. capital — a city
  24. club — a group

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