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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: shower · ball · coach · plane · cue · trunk · charge · racket

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. charge — electricity
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. shower — rain
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — in control
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cue — a signal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. charge — a price
  23. cue — for pool
  24. racket — for tennis

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