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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: mouse · rash · wake · plane · court · rush · coach · chip

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rash — a series
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. court — of law
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wake — a trail
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. court — for sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mouse — the animal

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