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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
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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: last · charge · mine · court · mouse · snap · cue · coach

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cue — a hint
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — to go on
  5. snap — to click
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mine — for digging
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cue — a signal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. last — final
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — of law
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. last — finally

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