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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: mine · leaves · rush · bat · coach · stock · degree · plane

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. degree — an amount
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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