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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: snap · kid · pitch · bowl · cue · cell

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kid — child
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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