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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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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: content · bear · pitcher · bat · racket · chip · cue · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cue — a hint
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. content — the amount
  18. chip — for betting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bear — the animal

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