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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: pitcher · foot · rest · band · lie · content · cue · plane

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rest — a break
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. band — a music group
  17. plane — a tool
  18. content — happy
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. content — the amount
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lie — an untruth

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