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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — electric
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. scale — in music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — of water
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. nail — for a hammer

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