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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 116 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: bass · sharp · bark · suit · rest · coach · cap · cue

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cue — a hint
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bass — the fish
  5. suit — clothes
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rest — a break
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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