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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: straw · club · suit · staff · coach · bore · scale · cue

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cue — a hint
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — a group
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cue — for pool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bore — to drill

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