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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: hide · branch · rush · capital · pitch · current · scale · cue

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — a city
  4. scale — size or range
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cue — a hint
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. capital — money
  13. scale — in music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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