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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · nail · swing · coach · spell · cue · game · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — for pool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a match
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. foot — a measure
  22. game — wild animals
  23. swing — to play on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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