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

Word bank: pitch · stem · straw · cue · kick · rule

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rule — government
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — in football
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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