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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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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: scale · bank · straw · club · kick · racket · stand · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — in football
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — a group
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — for spectators

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