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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: season · plane · stock · toast · coach · face · mark · swing

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. swing — in golf
  3. face — to point toward
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. stock — goods
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. swing — music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mark — a grade
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. face — part of the head
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to confront
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stock — shares

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