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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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. deal — an agreement
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — a stone
  14. field — a subject
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. field — for sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rock — music
  24. field — farmland

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