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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 116 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: hide · cue · cap · wake · net · pitcher · mate · rock

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — for catching
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — for pool

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