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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — to come down
  4. season — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stock — shares
  8. land — a country
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — an aim
  18. board — to get on
  19. object — to protest
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. land — ground
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — a committee

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