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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. cold — the Cold War

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