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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 · game · bat · lean · stock · mug · cabinet · club

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — a match
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — a group
  14. mug — a face
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for golf
  24. cabinet — ministers

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