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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: sharp · pitcher · coach · swing · scale · chair · cue · bark

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. sharp — clever
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bark — to shout
  19. swing — music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  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