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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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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: pitch · current · rest · board · pit · band · spring · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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 — a signal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pit — in a race
  4. band — a music group
  5. cue — a hint
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. board — a committee
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. band — a ring
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — the season
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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