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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.

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: coach · cue · present · land · scale · last · squash · pit

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — a country
  4. present — a gift
  5. scale — size or range
  6. last — final
  7. land — ground
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. last — finally
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — to come down
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — a hint

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