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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 120 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: pitcher · cabinet · spell · cue · land · squash · bear · bay

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — to come down
  4. spell — a short time
  5. land — a country
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spell — magic
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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