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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. game — a match
  4. band — a music group
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cue — for pool
  8. band — a ring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cue — a signal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — in biology
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cell — a phone

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