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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: cap · can · cue · pop · band · plane · kick · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kick — in football
  4. sharp — clever
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pop — soda
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — a tin
  23. cue — a signal
  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