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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: cue · land · pitcher · rush · pop · bore · fall · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. land — a country
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. land — ground
  5. fall — the season
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — hurry
  15. land — to come down
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pop — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pop — soda

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