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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: game · rash · cue · suit · coach · key · snap · rush

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rash — hasty
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. suit — in cards
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — a match
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. coach — a trainer

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