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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 · object · cue · game · snap · track · saw · tear

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. saw — the tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cue — a hint
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tear — to rip
  11. track — a path
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — to keep track
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — for pool
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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