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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: nail · rock · cue · dip · pitcher · capital · mouse · lie

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rock — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. capital — money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — a jug

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