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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 120 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: racket · suit · rush · row · pitcher · cue · kid · coach

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — a hint
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kid — to tease
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kid — child
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rush — hurry

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