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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
468
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: scale · bear · cell · bat · coach · mug · stock · sharp

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stock — goods
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — in music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — with an edge

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