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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.

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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: spell · coach · stock · hide · snap · cue · track · capital

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — shares
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. capital — money
  14. track — a song
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — a hint
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — a city

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