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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: game · pit · cue · bore · prune · key · wave · temple

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — a hint
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bore — to tire
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to drill
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. key — for a lock
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pit — in a race
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cue — for pool

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