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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: cue · pitch · snap · rush · capital · lean · club · last

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. last — final
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. club — for golf
  16. snap — to click
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — to bend
  20. club — a group
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rush — hurry
  23. last — finally
  24. pitch — a sports field

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