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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: cue · pitcher · pound · racket · perch · craft · foot · bass

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cue — for pool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — a measure
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a skill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cue — a hint
  24. craft — a handicraft

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