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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: coach · band · patient · mark · kid · cue · rock · deal

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a ring
  4. rock — a stone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — to tease
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — child
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mark — a grade
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cue — for pool

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