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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — a hint
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. club — for dancing

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