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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: ball · court · branch · rule · wave · mouse · pitch · coach

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — government
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — a division
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rule — a law
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rule — to rule out
  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