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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.

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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: bear · bowl · can · bat · coach · drill · suit · stock

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. drill — army training
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. suit — in cards
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — shares
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stock — goods
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. drill — a practice

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