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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. last — final
  11. ground — crushed
  12. band — a ring
  13. cue — a hint
  14. land — a country
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. ground — a position
  20. last — to go on
  21. land — ground
  22. band — a music group
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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