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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: pop · swing · cabinet · coach · stock · wave · stand · bass

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — low music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — goods
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pop — soda
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pop — music
  22. swing — music
  23. wave — of the sea
  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