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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 · coach · cue · pass · stock · hide · track · ground

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a song
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — a permit
  16. track — a path
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. ground — a position
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mark — to pay attention

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