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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: cue · content · bank · stick · pop · mug · date · club

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pop — music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mug — a face
  12. club — a group
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — for money
  16. club — for golf
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — of a river
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pop — soda
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. content — happy

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