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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: rash · court · race · coach · saw · jam · mouse · club

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. club — a group
  3. saw — the tool
  4. court — of law
  5. rash — hasty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rash — a series
  23. court — for sport
  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