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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 116 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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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 · sharp · game · last · mug · bank · bay · club

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. club — for dancing
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mug — to rob
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — a match
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. last — final
  16. club — a group
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mug — a face
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — of a river
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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