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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · cue · coach · file · present · jam · date · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. date — the fruit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cue — a hint
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. present — there
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — a signal
  18. band — a ring
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. present — a gift
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a document
  24. jam — in traffic

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