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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 120 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 · cue · fan · lean · deal · perch · mark · ball

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ball — a dance
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fan — to cool the air

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