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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: pitcher · game · ruler · spring · cue · clip · bass · cap

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — wild animals
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — a video
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spring — the season
  21. bass — low music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. clip — to cut
  24. spring — of water

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