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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.

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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: mine · coach · cue · bat · racket · rash · mug · game

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. mug — a face
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bat — the animal
  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