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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: capital · dip · race · pass · craft · cue · pitch · deal

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. capital — a city
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. deal — to handle
  13. craft — boats
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. craft — a skill
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. capital — money
  22. race — humankind
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cue — for pool

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