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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 · bore · rash · mine · ball · date · jam · pitch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitch — completely
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bore — to tire
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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