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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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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — a match
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cue — for pool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. staff — employees
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. squash — the sport

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