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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: coach · stick · bulb · bank · lie · pitcher · cue · staff

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. staff — employees
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — a jug

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