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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: pitcher · jam · rock · arm · land · cue · staff · racket

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. land — ground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cue — a hint
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — a stone
  24. land — a country

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