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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · craft · rush · spring · coach · game · stock · plane

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — goods
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. craft — boats
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. game — a match
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stock — shares
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. plane — a tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. game — wild animals
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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