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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 120 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 · cell · cue · perch · bore · club · pitch · rush

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cell — a phone
  6. club — a group
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cue — a hint

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