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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: mate · mug · chest · present · suit · stock · content · coach

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mug — a face
  15. present — the time now
  16. content — happy
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. mug — a cup
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chest — a box
  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