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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 · scale · trunk · game · net · cue · suit · fork

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — to fit
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — in sport
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. scale — in music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. game — a kind of play

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