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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: bank · squash · mine · pop · cue · wave · pit · bore

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — soda
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bore — to drill
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — music
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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