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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: key · shower · stock · roll · field · coach · scale · cue

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. key — in music
  3. field — a subject
  4. cue — a signal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. roll — a cake
  9. scale — in music
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. cue — a hint
  13. scale — size or range
  14. field — for sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — for a lock
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. field — farmland
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — a list

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