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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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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: cue · bass · coach · mouse · hand · pitch · bore · face

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. face — to confront
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bass — the fish
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cue — a hint
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitch — completely

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