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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: suit · pitcher · mug · file · hand · cue · straw · pop

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — a face
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. suit — clothes
  5. file — a tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cue — for pool
  11. file — a document
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pop — soda
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pop — music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pop — to visit

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