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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: last · cue · pitch · row · march · firm · safe · rush

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. cue — for pool
  4. march — the month
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. march — the month
  12. last — to go on
  13. cue — a hint
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — decided
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cue — a signal
  20. march — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — hurry

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