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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: coach · stock · cell · season · craft · stand · pop · fan

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stock — goods
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stock — shares
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. season — in sport
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. stand — to bear
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — of the year
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — boats
  24. pop — to visit

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