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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: bay · nail · swing · straw · cue · saw · staff · pitch

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. swing — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cue — for pool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. saw — the tool

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