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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: coach · cold · craft · jam · track · bat · cue · rule

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. track — a song
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bat — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. cold — not warm
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. craft — boats
  16. cue — for pool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rule — a law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rule — government

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