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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: stock · hand · rest · chip · band · pit · coach · drill

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pit — a hole
  18. band — a ring
  19. stock — goods
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. drill — army training
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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