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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · mouse · squash · coach · trunk · patient · cue · bass

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cue — a hint
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bass — the fish
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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