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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 · bowl · row · mine · bat · pass · mug · rush

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cue — a hint
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mine — for digging
  18. row — a line
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bowl — to roll

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