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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: tube · pitcher · present · perch · mouse · last · cue · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cue — a hint
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — a gift
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — for pool
  17. present — the time now
  18. last — final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — the underground
  23. present — there
  24. cue — a signal

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