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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 120 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: charge · stock · arm · swing · coach · stem · foot · fan

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. charge — a price
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — goods
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — in control
  17. stock — shares
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. swing — music

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