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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bank — for money
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitcher — a jug

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