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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 116 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: stock · pitch · bound · swing · straw · net · coach · ball

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ball — a dance
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stock — goods
  9. swing — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — in sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — in golf
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stock — shares

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