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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: pitcher · present · content · cue · season · cabinet · sharp · stand

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. present — the time now
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. content — happy
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — there
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. season — in sport
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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