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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: cue · trunk · scale · hand · roll · coach · rule · pit

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rule — a law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cue — a signal
  12. scale — in music
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hand — help
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rule — government
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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