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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 116 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
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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: ground · fan · bass · cue · staff · deal · pitch · kick

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ground — crushed
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — in football
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. deal — a big deal

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