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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mouse · hide · present · band · pitcher · stick · plane

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — there
  4. plane — a tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — a gift
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — the time now
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. band — a music group
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. plane — in geometry

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