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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: lie · nail · cue · pitcher · straw · rush · racket · roll

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lie — to recline
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — a list
  24. racket — a loud noise

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