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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · cabinet · chip · bowl · cue · rush · cap · club

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chip — to eat

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