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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
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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: sharp · stock · key · coach · temple · safe · bass · season

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stock — shares
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — of the year
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. key — in music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bass — low music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. sharp — with an edge

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