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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: fall · cue · rash · coach · ball · bay · pound · ground

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — a position
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fall — the season
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — to drop

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