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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 120 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: racket · cue · cap · lie · mug · row · tube · cabinet

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mug — a face
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — to recline
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. racket — for tennis

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