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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: cue · mate · pitch · row · lash · rock · current · arm

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rock — music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — happening now
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — for pool
  19. current — of water
  20. mate — a friend
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. row — a line
  24. cue — a signal

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