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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: bulb · pitch · pound · firm · wake · rash · capital · cue

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cue — a hint
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — for pool
  7. capital — a city
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. firm — decided
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. firm — steady
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rash — a series
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. capital — money
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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