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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: cabinet · cue · coach · rock · band · stock · net · mouse

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stock — goods
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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