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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bank — of a river
  10. race — a contest
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — for pool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. cue — a hint
  17. race — humankind
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — the arms race
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — a signal

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