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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: dip · bowl · capital · cue · wave · pitch · mouse · bark

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. capital — a city

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