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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · drill · wax · season · ground · racket · stock · calf

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. drill — army training
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stock — shares
  16. season — of the year
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wax — for sculpting

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