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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 120 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: stock · bass · last · lash · coach · bore · mouse · season

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — to drill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. last — finally
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. last — to go on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — low music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — final
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — of the year
  24. bore — to tire

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