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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: pop · saw · pitch · cue · firm · cell · stem · chair

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chair — a leader
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — a company
  24. stem — a stem cell

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