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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 · kick · jam · court · coach · current · stock · fine

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. court — of law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — electric
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. kick — in football
  11. current — happening now
  12. fine — high quality
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — for sport
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. current — of water
  20. fine — all right
  21. court — of a king
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stock — shares
  24. rash — on the skin

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