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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 120 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: bear · sharp · last · bat · cue · vault · pitch · stem

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cue — a signal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitch — completely
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. last — finally
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. last — final
  16. stem — to come from
  17. sharp — clever
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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