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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 · race · object · racket · key · cue · squash · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — for pool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. squash — to crush
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — a contest
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. cue — a hint
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. race — humankind
  23. object — a thing
  24. squash — the sport

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