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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: coach · court · kid · bulb · stock · rush · mouse · press

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. press — to push
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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