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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: cue · pitch · snap · pound · spring · rash · wake · cell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spring — the season
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spring — of water
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cue — a signal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rash — hasty

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