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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: cue · present · sharp · fine · bat · coach · calf · spell

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cue — for pool
  14. present — there
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — exactly

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