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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. court — of law
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. court — of a king
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. court — for sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wave — of the sea

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