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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: stock · staff · pound · bay · dip · coach · date · mark

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pound — a weight
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stock — shares
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — a trace
  14. staff — employees
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stock — goods
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — a sauce

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