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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: pitcher · dip · march · field · stick · cue · trunk · ball

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. field — for sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a great time
  9. march — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. field — a subject
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. field — farmland
  18. march — the month
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a dance

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