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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: bat · stock · fan · coach · capital · bowl · mate · stand

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stock — goods
  14. capital — money
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. capital — a city
  17. stock — shares
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mate — to breed
  24. coach — a trainer

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