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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: bowl · arm · coach · toast · bank · stock · fork · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — shares
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. toast — bread
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fork — in a road
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stock — goods
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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