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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: ruler · bear · kid · mouse · stock · coach · chest · saw

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kid — child
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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