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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: cabinet · bark · track · ball · bore · mug · swing · cue

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — a song
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — a face
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — to tire
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — music

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