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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
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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 · present · ground · coach · cabinet · leaves · lean · date

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — there
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. present — the time now
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — to bend
  13. date — the fruit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ground — a position
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — a gift
  23. stock — shares
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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