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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — for money
  18. cap — of ice
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bank — for money

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