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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 124 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — to come down
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rash — a series
  15. land — a country
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. land — ground

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