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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: key · cue · wake · cell · ruler · cap · coach · mine

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — a signal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mine — an explosive

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