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

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — to visit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — in football
  14. cue — for pool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spell — letters
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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