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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: stock · suit · bear · mate · firm · coach · wound · pitcher

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stock — goods
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. mate — to breed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. firm — decided
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stock — shares
  14. firm — a company
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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