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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: pop · stock · coach · plane · band · bay · land · sharp

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. land — ground
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — soda
  8. stock — goods
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pop — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — shares
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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