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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: roll · land · toast · court · hide · present · cue · coach

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. court — for sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — a country
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. present — a gift
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of law
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cue — for pool
  14. land — to come down
  15. court — of a king
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. land — ground
  19. present — there
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — the time now
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. toast — bread
  24. coach — a trainer

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