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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: coach · rule · spring · pit · rock · pop · plane · stock

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — shares
  5. spring — a coil
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — goods
  14. pop — soda
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — music
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — a stone

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