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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: pop · nail · stock · tear · chair · toast · net · coach

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. toast — bread
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pop — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. net — for catching
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stock — shares
  15. tear — from crying
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — soda
  19. net — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — goods
  22. pop — to visit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. tear — to rip

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