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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · plane · cue · track · chest · chair · pitcher · nail

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. track — a path
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chest — a box
  13. mug — a face
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — a song
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mug — to rob
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chair — a leader
  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