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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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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: root · pitch · band · cell · cue · nail · craft · mark

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cell — a phone
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. band — a music group
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. band — a ring
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. craft — a skill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cue — a signal

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