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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: coach · swing · press · content · suit · can · lean · net

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — to play on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. press — a publisher
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. press — to push
  9. can — to be able to
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. net — in sport
  17. suit — clothes
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lean — thin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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