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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: saw · pop · stick · rash · pitch · cap · bear · cue

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. 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. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. 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