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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: straw · object · pitch · content · foot · cue · cabinet · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. content — the amount
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — an aim
  6. cue — a hint
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. object — a thing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — for pool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — happy
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitch — a sports field

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