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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 120 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: capital · cue · arm · wake · bore · rock · sharp · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — for pool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to drill
  21. capital — a city
  22. rock — music
  23. capital — money
  24. arm — part of the body

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