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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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Word bank
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. band — a ring
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. band — a music group
  18. cue — a signal

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