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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: spring · pitcher · cue · craft · pitch · kid · pound · staff

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kid — child
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spring — of water
  24. cue — for pool

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