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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 116 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: prune · board · stand · mate · cue · rest · cold · coach

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — a break
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cold — not warm
  17. board — to get on
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — a signal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — a hint

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