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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 · rush · pitcher · stick · bound · swing · toast · saw

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — bread
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — certain
  21. cue — for pool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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