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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: bowl · current · coach · spring · content · stock · plane · rash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spring — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — happening now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — of water
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. current — electric
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — happy
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — a series
  22. content — the amount
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bowl — a dish

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