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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: kick · bore · racket · temple · pitcher · fork · cue · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. spring — the season
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — in football
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cue — a signal
  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