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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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Word bank
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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: content · cell · pitch · cue · stick · swing

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. content — happy
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitch — completely
  11. content — the amount
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — to play on
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. swing — in golf

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