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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 116 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: stock · mate · coach · scale · shower · stick · bulb · march

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — in music
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — rain
  9. march — the month
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mate — a friend
  22. march — music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. march — the month

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