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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 · firm · kid · pitch · mine · cue · fork · arm

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — decided
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. firm — a company
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — steady
  24. kid — to tease

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