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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pop · roll · lash · nail · wind · pitcher · club

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cue — for pool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pop — music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. club — for dancing
  20. roll — a list
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. club — a group

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