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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 · stock · kid · tube · coach · charge · ruler · nail

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kid — child
  3. swing — to play on
  4. charge — in control
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — shares
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — the underground
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. swing — music
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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