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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: pop · wound · trunk · bat · squash · bore · mark · cue

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — for pool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pop — music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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