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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hand — in cards
  9. track — a path
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. cue — a signal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — a hint
  18. board — to get on

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