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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
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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: stock · track · pop · racket · charge · saw · coach · ground

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. ground — a position
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — a path
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — shares
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. charge — electricity
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — the earth
  23. charge — a price
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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