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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — there
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. present — a gift
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — the time now
  13. spell — letters
  14. chest — a box
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — magic
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — a trace

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