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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: coach · march · scale · stock · cue · nail · racket · foot

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stock — shares
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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