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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: cap · cue · field · coach · snap · track · firm · cell

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a song
  7. cue — a hint
  8. firm — steady
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. track — a path
  11. field — farmland
  12. snap — to click
  13. cell — a phone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — a subject
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. cap — a hat
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cap — a lid
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a signal

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