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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. swing — music
  3. hand — help
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bowl — a dish

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