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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: degree · bank · stock · cabinet · game · suit · coach · squash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. squash — to crush
  13. suit — in cards
  14. degree — from a university
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — goods
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. suit — to fit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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