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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.

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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: pitcher · stick · prune · snap · swing · nail · cue · mate

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cue — a hint
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to click
  19. swing — in golf
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cue — for pool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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