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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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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: bat · pitch · board · craft · mine · lean · cue · rush

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — boats
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. board — a committee
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cue — for pool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — for digging
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cue — a hint

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