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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: wave · coach · fall · staff · court · roll · bear · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — to drop
  17. roll — a list
  18. staff — a stick
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. court — of law
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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