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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: cue · pass · field · kid · mug · pitch · branch · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mug — a cup
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. field — for sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cue — a hint
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mug — a face
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pass — a permit
  22. field — a subject
  23. branch — a division
  24. field — farmland

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