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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · coach · tube · cue · net · cap · kid · chair

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. tube — a container
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cap — a lid
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — in sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — for pool

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