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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — in football
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — hurry
  6. court — of a king
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — for sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. court — of law
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — to hurry

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