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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
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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: hand · rule · current · plane · stock · season · key · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. season — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rule — a law
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. current — electric
  11. rule — government
  12. key — for a lock
  13. current — happening now
  14. key — in music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. hand — help
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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