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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: wound · pitch · cue · rock · pass · bay · straw · current

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — of water
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cue — for pool
  24. current — happening now

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