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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: coach · last · scale · stock · deal · row · mate · lash

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. deal — to handle
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — to go on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — shares
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. last — final
  21. scale — in music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. row — a line
  24. deal — an agreement

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