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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 116 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: lash · pitch · cell · cue · stand · pop · saw · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cell — in biology
  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