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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: rule · bore · cue · temple · coach · pitcher · sharp · chip

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rule — government
  9. cue — a hint
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chip — to eat

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