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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 · suit · shower · saw · stock · bowl · coach · cell

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cell — in biology
  8. saw — the tool
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stock — shares
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — rain
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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