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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 120 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
468
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 · arm · swing · object · bat · capital · bay · coach

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. swing — to play on
  3. capital — a city
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. swing — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. object — an aim
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. object — a thing
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stock — shares
  19. capital — money
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. swing — in golf
  24. object — to protest

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