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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: stock · mug · date · spell · kick · firm · coach · pitcher

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — steady
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. firm — a company
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — decided
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — in football
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — goods
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mug — to rob

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