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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: wound · cue · rock · track · cap · pitcher · bank · content

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a song
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. track — a path
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rock — a stone

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