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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — thin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cue — a signal
  22. file — a document
  23. cue — a hint
  24. straw — dry grass

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