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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 · ground · bound · game · bass · lash · cabinet · pit

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ground — a position
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. game — a match
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — wild animals

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