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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bound — certain
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bound — tied together
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — obliged
  24. game — a match

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