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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 120 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: coach · chip · stock · season · stand · club · cabinet · tear

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. season — of the year
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. club — for golf
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tear — from crying
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. club — a group
  23. stock — goods
  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