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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 · coach · pit · rest · mouse · cue · file · foot

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rest — a break
  12. file — a tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. file — a document
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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