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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: stem · lie · pitch · stick · mouse · cue · fall · staff

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — the season
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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