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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: hand · nail · cue · stick · stem · pitcher · bay · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. stem — to come from
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cue — a signal
  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