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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: sharp · cue · pitcher · mine · stand · plane · tube · bank

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — to bear
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. sharp — clever
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bank — for money

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