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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · rush · scale · mine · cell · mate · spring · pitch

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — the season
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mate — to breed
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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