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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: track · cue · bound · fine · pitcher · nail · calf · press

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fine — high quality
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. track — a path
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — newspapers
  16. track — a song
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. press — to push
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. press — a publisher

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