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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 · pit · spell · fine · stock · stand · staff · straw

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — shares
  9. fine — high quality
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — goods
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — letters
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fine — all right
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pit — in a race

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