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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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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: ground · scale · firm · cue · hand · nail · jam · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cue — a signal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. firm — a company
  6. ground — a position
  7. hand — in cards
  8. firm — decided
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ground — the earth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — steady
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ground — crushed
  21. scale — size or range
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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