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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: face · bowl · cue · coach · stock · deal · hand · patient

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — for pool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — help
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. face — to point toward
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — shares
  19. face — to confront
  20. cue — a signal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — a hint
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bowl — a dish

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