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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: stock · scale · swing · deal · coach · bulb · clip · temple

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — in music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stock — shares
  11. swing — to play on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — a video
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — for light
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. swing — music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bulb — of a plant

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