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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
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: drill · stick · coach · stock · spell · mate · kid · bass

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stock — shares
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kid — child
  9. spell — letters
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mate — a partner
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kid — to tease
  20. drill — army training
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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