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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
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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: content · key · stock · swing · coach · board · degree · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — shares
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — happy
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — the most important part
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. degree — temperature
  16. swing — in golf
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stock — goods
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — from a university
  24. coach — a trainer

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