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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: hand · racket · mate · cue · firm · fan · degree · coach

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — temperature
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. degree — from a university

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