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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: coach · stock · leaves · swing · drill · bulb · game · mark

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stock — shares
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — a match
  6. swing — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. swing — to play on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stock — goods
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. swing — in golf

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