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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: race · cue · game · coach · rock · tube · cabinet · staff

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. race — a contest
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. rock — music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cue — a signal
  23. race — humankind
  24. staff — employees

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