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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: cue · coach · stick · bulb · nail · stock · clip · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a hint
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — shares
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. clip — a video
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stock — goods
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. coach — a trainer

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