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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: bank · stem · sharp · object · snap · tube · cue · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cue — a signal
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cue — a hint
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — to come from
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — to protest
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — of a river
  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