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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · clip · bat · pitcher · foot · cue · pit · coach

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cue — for pool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rock — a stone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — a hint
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. clip — a video
  24. bat — in an idiom

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