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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: stick · snap · cue · cap · fine · pitcher · kid · staff

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — child
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kid — to tease
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. snap — to click
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cap — a lid
  22. staff — employees
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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