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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: stem · kick · club · ball · last · coach · rest · cue

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. rest — a break
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. last — to go on
  5. club — a group
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for dancing
  9. kick — in football
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. club — for golf
  18. cue — for pool
  19. last — final
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. last — finally
  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