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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · arm · bat · stock · roll · suit · coach · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — goods
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — the season
  12. suit — in cards
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — shares
  15. spring — of water
  16. roll — a cake
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — a list

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