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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 116 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: bound · pitcher · capital · rock · spell · mate · cue · pitch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spell — magic
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — music
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rock — a stone
  15. capital — a city
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bound — certain
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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