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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. firm — decided
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. firm — a company
  13. clip — a video
  14. pitch — completely
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. suit — clothes
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. clip — for paper
  21. suit — in cards
  22. firm — steady
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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