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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · swing · hide · coach · fork · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. 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. object — to protest
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — in a road
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — music
  10. object — an aim
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. object — a thing
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. 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