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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: fine · stock · wave · roll · pitcher · pop · rest · coach

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — music
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fine — all right
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pop — soda
  15. fine — high quality
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. roll — a list
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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