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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: object · stem · craft · clip · fall · pitch · cue · can

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cue — a hint
  9. craft — boats
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — a video
  24. craft — a handicraft

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