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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: band · cue · nail · stem · rash · foot · racket · deal

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rash — hasty
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. foot — a measure
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. deal — an agreement

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