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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. object — to protest
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bore — to tire
  7. object — an aim
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bore — to drill
  10. branch — a division
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — in music
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cue — for pool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. object — a thing
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — gave birth

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