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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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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a ring
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — army training
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mug — a face
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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