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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: cue · cell · ruler · row · mine · pitch

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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