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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: stock · bowl · saw · coach · hide · stand · pop · current

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. stock — goods
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. stand — on your feet

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