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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: coach · cue · fall · row · trunk · kick · fork · stock

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — in football
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — a line
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. row — to paddle
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stock — shares
  24. kick — a thrill

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