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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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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 · wake · coach · bowl · firm · rush · court · calf

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. firm — a company
  3. rush — hurry
  4. firm — decided
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. firm — steady
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. court — for sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cue — a signal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of law
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rush — to hurry
  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