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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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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: wake · firm · swing · fall · drill · cue · pitch · bear

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wake — a trail
  4. firm — decided
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fall — the season
  7. firm — a company
  8. swing — to play on
  9. firm — steady
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. drill — a practice
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — army training
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cue — a signal

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