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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 116 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: bat · cue · coach · trunk · bore · mouse · stock · band

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. bat — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — shares
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — goods
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. band — a music group
  24. stock — a soup base

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