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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: rash · pound · mouse · cue · bat · coach · cap · game

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a match
  23. bat — for baseball
  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