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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: mouse · pitch · ground · cue · bore · cell · coach · fine

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. coach — a trainer

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