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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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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: key · cue · firm · fall · stick · pitch · stem · straw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cue — a signal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. key — in music
  8. firm — decided
  9. fall — to drop
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — steady
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — a hint
  19. firm — a company
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sports field

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