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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: net · chair · coach · rest · suit · lean · fork · cue

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lean — to bend
  9. net — after costs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rest — a break
  14. cue — a signal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — thin

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