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

Word bank: mark · mouse · wound · pit · cue · ground · coach · chest

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ground — a position
  20. wound — an injury
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chest — a box
  24. coach — a trainer

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