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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: chip · stand · mouse · pitch · straw · squash · scale · cue

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. scale — in music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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