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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 · clip · pitcher · coach · sharp · stick · staff · pitch

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cue — a hint
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a signal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cue — for pool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — a video
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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