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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 120 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 · bay · club · cue · wave · mark · straw · fan

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a signal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. club — a group
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mark — a grade

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