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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: firm · stock · court · coach · cue · racket · pitcher · date

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a signal
  7. court — of a king
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. firm — steady
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of law
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. date — the fruit
  17. firm — decided
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — a hint
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — a loud noise

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