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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: stick · wind · tear · suit · rock · net · stock · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rock — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stock — shares
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — in sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — for catching
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. net — after costs

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