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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 · rush · fine · bound · date · trunk · cue · ground

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ground — a position
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cue — for pool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — crushed
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — all right
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — certain

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