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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · game · craft · mate · bark · coach · bound · cue

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. game — a match
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rest — a break
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bound — certain
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. game — wild animals
  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