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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: last · wax · rash · racket · toast · patient · stock · coach

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — shares
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. last — finally
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. toast — bread
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — to grow
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — to go on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stock — a soup base

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