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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: bore · court · racket · tube · chest · mouse · coach · mine

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chest — a box
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — a container
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to tire
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. court — of a king
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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