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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 120 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: cue · can · band · court · calf · pitcher · snap · cabinet

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. court — of law
  2. band — a music group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. snap — to click
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. band — a ring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — for pool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cue — a hint
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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