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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — soda
  3. stock — shares
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. track — a song
  6. pop — music
  7. track — a path
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kid — child
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mug — a face
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. scale — in music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — to keep track
  24. nail — on a finger

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