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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: jam · hand · stock · coach · leaves · mug · wound · pass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mug — a face
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mug — to rob
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. hand — in cards

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