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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — a container
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mouse — the animal

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