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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 116 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: coach · swing · bulb · cabinet · mark · content · press · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — a grade
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. swing — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — to push
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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