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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: mouse · fall · cue · pitch · rest · net · board · bore

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. net — for catching
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fall — the season
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — after costs
  16. board — to get on
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bore — to drill
  20. net — in sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. board — a committee
  24. pitch — a sports field

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