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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: saw · coach · net · stock · cue · fork · lean · arm

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. net — for catching
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. net — in sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. net — after costs
  17. stock — goods
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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