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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cue — a signal
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. season — of the year
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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