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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: ball · ground · rash · fork · bore · board · pitcher · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ground — a position
  24. cue — for pool

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