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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: ball · stock · can · swing · mouse · tube · coach · trunk

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — a container
  3. ball — a great time
  4. swing — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. swing — in golf
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stock — shares
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — a trainer

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