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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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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: clip · nail · pitcher · coach · trunk · squash · chest · cue

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — for pool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. clip — for paper
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chest — a box
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chest — of your body

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