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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: last · cue · mouse · chest · ruler · hide · pitch · bat

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — for pool
  3. last — finally
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. last — final
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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