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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a song
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. land — ground
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mate — to breed
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — a path
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cue — for pool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — on a finger

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