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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · mine · firm · pitcher · mug · cue · land · fine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — for pool
  4. game — a match
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — ground
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. firm — decided
  20. land — a country
  21. firm — a company
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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