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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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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: wound · bore · bass · bat · cue · mug · pit · suit

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cue — a hint
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — for pool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mug — a face
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bat — the animal

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