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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: racket · coach · rash · wound · stock · can · cap · deal

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stock — goods
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — hasty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cap — a lid
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cap — of ice

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