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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: press · swing · coach · game · lash · pit · land · bank

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. David sat on 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. press — a publisher
  2. swing — music
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — to push
  19. bank — of a river
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. swing — to play on
  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