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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 · fork · file · suit · face · land · cue · mug

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fork — in a road
  3. file — a tool
  4. land — ground
  5. cue — a hint
  6. face — to point toward
  7. file — a line of people
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — a signal
  11. land — to come down
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. land — a country
  19. face — part of the head
  20. file — a document
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — to confront
  24. suit — to fit

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