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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. suit — to fit
  5. land — a country
  6. pitch — completely
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spell — a short time
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — a weight
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. land — to come down
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. land — ground
  24. stock — a soup base

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