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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 116 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: net · bay · mark · band · mug · mine · cue · fan

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. band — a ring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mark — a grade
  23. net — for catching
  24. band — a rubber band

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