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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. shower — rain
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. shower — to wash
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stock — goods
  15. march — the month
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a ring
  19. march — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. march — the month
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. coach — a trainer

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