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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: temple · roll · cue · coach · field · rush · jam · leaves

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. field — farmland
  3. cue — for pool
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cue — a hint
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. field — a subject

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