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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.

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: content · stock · land · cue · drill · fan · leaves · coach

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — the amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — for pool
  13. drill — army training
  14. land — ground
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stock — goods
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — shares
  23. land — a country
  24. content — happy

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