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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 120 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: season · pit · shower · cold · coach · charge · stock · calf

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — rain
  6. season — of the year
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. charge — in control
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pit — a hole
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cold — not warm
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. shower — to wash
  24. charge — electricity

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