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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: suit · snap · bay · mark · cue · chest · straw · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. ________________ 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. chest — of your body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mark — a trace
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chest — of your body
  15. snap — to click
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — a box
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cue — for pool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. 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