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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — to keep track
  5. court — of a king
  6. cue — for pool
  7. snap — to click
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — a song
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. court — of law
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. track — a path
  21. court — for sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cue — a hint
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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