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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: pound · game · mouse · chair · coach · fine · cue · spring

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. spring — a coil
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — a weight
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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