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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cue — for pool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. court — of law
  11. mate — a partner
  12. tube — the underground
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tube — a container
  16. court — of a king
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer

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