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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 116 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: mug · stick · pitch · mate · ground · bound · cue · clip

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bound — certain
  3. ground — a position
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — completely
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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