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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 120 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: ruler · stem · pitch · fork · club · cue · lash · hand

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fork — in a road
  8. club — a group
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hand — help
  13. pitch — completely
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fork — to eat with

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