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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: cue · roll · coach · rock · pit · staff · rash · chest

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. roll — a list
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chest — a box
  5. rock — music
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pit — a hole
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rock — a stone
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chest — of your body
  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