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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: coach · nail · jam · sharp · mine · degree · cue · perch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cue — a hint
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. sharp — clever
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. sharp — with an edge

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