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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: deal · clip · pitcher · stand · suit · drill · pop · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — to bear
  5. deal — to handle
  6. suit — to fit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. clip — a video
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — on your feet

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