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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: cue · arm · last · coach · swing · pass · drill · pitch

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. last — finally
  9. drill — army training
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. swing — to play on
  17. last — to go on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. coach — a trainer

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