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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: wake · mug · foot · ball · spring · sharp · pitch · cue

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a face
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a dance
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wake — a trail
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a hint
  23. foot — the bottom
  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