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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: cue · pit · bass · bore · mine · track · toast · swing

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bore — to drill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bore — to tire
  11. swing — in golf
  12. track — a path
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — to play on
  20. toast — bread
  21. track — a song
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bass — low music

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