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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a great time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. object — to protest
  14. press — to push
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cue — a hint
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — a container
  19. press — a publisher
  20. object — a thing
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

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