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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: plane · stock · face · racket · mine · arm · current · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. current — electric
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stock — goods
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — shares
  18. face — to point toward
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. face — to confront
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. racket — for tennis

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