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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: sharp · hide · cap · capital · cue · pitch · lean · bound

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. sharp — clever
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — certain
  19. cue — a signal
  20. capital — a city
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — for pool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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