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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 116 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: coach · hand · pass · stock · stand · deal · prune · snap

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stand — to bear
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to click
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — shares
  19. hand — in cards
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — goods
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — a permit

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