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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: swing · bore · bound · stock · mouse · dip · coach · key

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — in music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stock — shares
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. dip — to sink
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bound — tied together

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