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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: coach · cap · net · stock · clip · current · stand · arm

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — for catching
  3. clip — for paper
  4. cap — a hat
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — shares
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — happening now
  20. net — after costs
  21. current — electric
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — for spectators

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