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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: swing · pound · leaves · stock · spell · pop · coach · lie

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — goods
  12. swing — music
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — letters
  20. pop — soda
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. leaves — lets stay

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