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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: bowl · cue · bat · pitcher · dip · bore · fall · foot

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bore — to tire
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fall — the season
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitcher — a jug

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