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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 · rule · stock · object · fan · bore · pound · suit

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — a weight
  5. object — a thing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stock — shares
  9. rule — a law
  10. object — an aim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — government
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stock — goods
  24. pound — for dogs

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