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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hand — help
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fine — all right
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cue — for pool

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