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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: chest · bear · nail · mouse · stem · drill · pitch · cue

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. drill — army training
  14. chest — a box
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cue — a signal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cue — a hint

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