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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: foot · cue · band · pitcher · cap · content · cabinet · wound

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a ring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. content — happy
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cap — of ice
  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