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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — goods
  9. chest — a box
  10. shower — to wash
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. shower — rain
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chest — of your body
  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