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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — army training
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to click
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cue — a hint
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — to bear
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. drill — a practice
  24. row — to paddle

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