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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: firm · cell · pitch · mate · cap · branch · game · cue

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — a match
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in biology
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cue — a signal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cap — a lid
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — a hint

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