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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: temple · patient · mark · stock · coach · track · file · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. track — a song
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. track — to keep track
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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