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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — a break
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — shares
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — a hint
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — goods
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — after costs
  21. key — in music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. land — a country
  24. net — in sport

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