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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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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: stand · coach · content · press · mark · race · snap · swing

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. snap — to click
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — the arms race
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. content — happy
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. content — the amount
  17. swing — music
  18. race — humankind
  19. press — to push
  20. race — a contest
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stand — to bear
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. press — a publisher

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