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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: pitch · cue · ball · row · foot · rest · mate · can

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — to breed
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — for pool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — a break
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. row — a line
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ball — a dance
  24. row — to paddle

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