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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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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: game · season · cue · firm · date · stock · coach · board

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stock — goods
  3. cue — a signal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — a match
  7. firm — decided
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stock — shares
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — of the year
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. firm — steady
  17. cue — for pool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — a hint
  22. date — the fruit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a flat piece

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