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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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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: swing · pitcher · cue · cold · bay · mate · cap · lie

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cap — a hat
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — to breed
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cap — of ice
  23. swing — music
  24. cue — a signal

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