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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: mouse · racket · hide · fall · court · coach · bulb · swing

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. swing — to play on
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of law
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. court — for sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — for light

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