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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: hand · rush · bay · charge · pitch · foot · object · cue

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — a thing
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. charge — a price
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. object — an aim

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