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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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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: suit · cue · bat · pitch · bore · content · press · bound

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. content — happy
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. press — to push
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cue — a signal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitch — completely
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bore — to drill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bound — certain
  23. content — the amount
  24. suit — clothes

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