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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · coach · chest · toast · nail · clip · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chest — of your body
  7. clip — a video
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — all right
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chest — a box
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. toast — bread
  14. clip — to cut
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — for paper
  24. racket — a loud noise

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