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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: coach · jam · cue · arm · kid · march · tube · prune

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cue — for pool
  3. kid — child
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — the month
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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