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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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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 · face · branch · mug · pitch · vault · bulb · stick

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. branch — a division
  5. face — to confront
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — a face
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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