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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 120 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: fine · stock · hand · coach · game · mug · object · kid

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — to rob
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kid — child
  5. stock — goods
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hand — in cards
  10. object — an aim
  11. game — a match
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stock — shares
  16. kid — to tease
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — a thing
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. object — to protest
  24. hand — help

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