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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. press — newspapers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. drill — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — a committee
  8. press — to push
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — to play on
  12. board — to get on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stock — goods
  19. drill — a practice
  20. staff — a stick
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — employees

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