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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.

Words on the sheet
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: club · wound · pass · game · cue · coach · tube · patient

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — a container
  5. cue — a hint
  6. tube — the underground
  7. game — a match
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. club — for golf
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. club — a group
  23. cue — a signal
  24. game — wild animals

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