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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 120 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: stock · court · stem · mug · mouse · wave · board · coach

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mug — a face
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. court — of a king
  6. stock — shares
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stock — goods
  10. court — of law
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — to rob
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. court — for sport
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. board — a flat piece

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