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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — for catching
  6. stock — shares
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stock — goods
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — to come from
  14. net — in sport
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. net — after costs
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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