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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: mug · band · pitcher · bay · vault · rush · plane · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — a signal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mug — a cup
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rush — to hurry
  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