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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: dip · fine · bear · cue · straw · pitch · face · capital

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fine — all right
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. face — to point toward
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. capital — money
  21. face — to confront
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cue — a hint
  24. dip — to dunk

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