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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · land · fork · press · coach · leaves · swing · rock

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — to play on
  7. press — a publisher
  8. swing — music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — a country
  14. swing — in golf
  15. land — ground
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rock — music
  20. press — to push
  21. land — to come down
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. press — newspapers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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