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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: roll · shower · mouse · stick · coach · mug · court · calf

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. court — for sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — a face
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of a king
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. court — of law
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. roll — a list

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