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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 · nail · fan · pitch · deal · roll · ground · spring

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitch — completely
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ground — crushed
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — a list
  14. deal — to handle
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — of water
  22. ground — a position
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cue — for pool

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