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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: press · cabinet · swing · bowl · kick · object · staff · coach

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. staff — employees
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. object — to protest
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. object — a thing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — an aim

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