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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: rash · foot · stock · rule · net · plane · coach · fan

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rule — government
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — for catching
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. net — in sport
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rule — a law
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — a series
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. net — after costs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — to rule out

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