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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 116 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: cue · mouse · pit · field · coach · rock · root · band

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. field — farmland
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a ring
  12. rock — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. root — of a plant
  16. field — a subject
  17. root — the cause
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rock — a stone

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