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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: mug · stock · coach · race · kick · bulb · kid · spell

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. spell — a short time
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a face
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. spell — letters
  14. race — humankind
  15. kick — in football
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spell — magic

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