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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: bay · coach · nail · cue · racket · toast · bank · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. toast — bread
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — a signal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — letters
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spell — a short time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — for pool

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