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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: ball · current · mouse · cue · coach · suit · court · mine

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. court — of law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. current — electric
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cue — a hint
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. court — of a king
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ball — a round shape

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