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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · key · stock · chip · fall · toast · bass · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. key — the most important part
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — bread
  9. stock — goods
  10. key — for a lock
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — in music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bass — low music
  17. stock — shares
  18. fall — the season
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — the tool

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