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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 116 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: pitch · cue · chair · trunk · lie · nail · hand · current

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — of water
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — happening now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hand — in cards

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