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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: pit · game · staff · chip · cue · tear · nail · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. tear — from crying
  3. game — wild animals
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. game — a match
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pit — in a race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — to eat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pit — a fruit 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