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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: craft · toast · spring · leaves · coach · suit · stock · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. toast — bread
  11. stock — goods
  12. spring — the season
  13. band — a music group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stock — shares
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spring — a coil
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. craft — boats
  23. stock — a soup base
  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