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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: track · cue · arm · nail · stick · coach · bound · club

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. track — to keep track
  16. club — for golf
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bound — tied together
  19. track — a path
  20. cue — for pool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cue — a signal

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