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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 met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — a series
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stock — goods
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — a price
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — a song
  24. rest — a break

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