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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: pitcher · straw · race · suit · rule · coach · cue · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — for pool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mark — a grade
  12. race — humankind
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — government
  15. suit — to fit
  16. race — a contest
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cue — a signal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — a trace

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