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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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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: arm · content · rush · race · board · tear · cue · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — the arms race
  6. tear — to rip
  7. board — to get on
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. race — a contest
  14. content — happy
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — humankind
  18. board — a committee
  19. content — the amount
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. arm — a part of something

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