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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: coach · mug · stick · cold · pit · scale · pitcher · stock

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — in a race
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stock — shares
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — size or range
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mug — a cup

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