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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 116 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: racket · pit · stock · fork · coach · object · bulb · cold

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. object — to protest
  5. cold — not warm
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — goods
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — an illness
  13. stock — shares
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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