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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: wake · sharp · straw · pitcher · cue · suit · squash · branch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — the sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wake — a trail
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. branch — of a tree

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