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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · stem · scale · pitch · cue · bulb · hide · chair

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — in music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — size or range

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