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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — low music
  8. band — a music group
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. band — a ring
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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