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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · file · cue · row · pitch · bank · last · can

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. can — a tin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — to go on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. row — to paddle
  11. file — a document
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — a signal
  17. last — final
  18. file — a tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. row — a line
  23. last — finally
  24. wave — with your hand

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