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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: stem · press · swing · scale · wave · coach · squash · cap

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. swing — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cap — a lid
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — newspapers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — in music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. press — a publisher
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. press — to push
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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