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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: rule · mate · rock · net · chest · key · coach · cue

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — a law
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. key — for a lock
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — government
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — in sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — in music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — a box
  23. cue — a hint
  24. net — for catching

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