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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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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: coach · fine · current · nail · sharp · cold · cue · chair

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. current — happening now
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cold — not warm
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cold — an illness
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — a signal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — electric
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — all right

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