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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: hand · coach · leaves · net · ball · dip · stock · foot

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stock — goods
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. foot — a measure
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. hand — in cards
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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