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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.

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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: kid · cue · pitch · ruler · trunk · firm · chair · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cue — for pool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. firm — decided
  9. kid — to tease
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — steady
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cue — a hint
  21. firm — a company
  22. kid — child
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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