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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · pitcher · mine · leaves · clip · cue · rock · board

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. board — to get on
  7. rock — music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. clip — a video
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a hint
  17. board — a committee
  18. clip — for paper
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — a signal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — lets stay

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