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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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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: sharp · band · club · hand · cue · dip · face · stand

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hand — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cue — a signal
  12. club — for golf
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — help
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — for dancing
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. face — to point toward
  23. sharp — clever
  24. band — a music group

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