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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. mug — to rob
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — in golf
  10. race — a contest
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mug — a face
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. race — the arms race
  20. swing — to play on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cue — a hint

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