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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: nail · spring · coach · arm · charge · stock · cue · hand

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. charge — a price
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — goods
  15. spring — a coil
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. spring — the season
  24. stock — shares

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