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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — to come down
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — soda
  14. scale — size or range
  15. swing — music
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pop — to visit

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