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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: capital · fall · rush · court · cue · racket · pitcher · leaves

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cue — a hint
  10. capital — a city
  11. court — of law
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. court — of a king
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fall — to drop
  21. court — for sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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