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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: pitcher · cue · stand · tear · stick · pit · kick · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — in football
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pit — in a race

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