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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
468
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: band · cue · drill · bay · clip · coach · pitcher · wake

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. band — a ring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a music group
  14. clip — a video
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cue — a hint
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. clip — for paper

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