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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: mug · pitcher · ball · ground · stem · tube · board · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — to get on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a dance
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stem — to come from
  17. board — a committee
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mug — a face
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cue — for pool

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