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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: chip · bear · dip · coach · swing · chest · stock · fan

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chest — a box
  5. stock — goods
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stock — shares
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fan — a supporter

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