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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: can · last · jam · wind · net · coach · cue · game

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cue — for pool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — moving air
  12. last — to go on
  13. game — a match
  14. last — final
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — finally
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — to be able to
  22. game — wild animals
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. net — in sport

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