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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: coach · rule · cue · mark · cabinet · staff · straw · prune

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — a law
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — a stick

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