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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: mark · spell · fine · coach · bat · stock · fall · club

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fine — all right
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fall — the season
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. fall — to drop
  22. club — a group
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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