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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 120 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: root · cue · wake · coach · rush · swing · kid · pitch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cue — a signal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kid — child
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. swing — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kid — to tease

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