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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. board — a committee
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. band — a music group
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. swing — in golf
  16. board — to get on
  17. lean — thin
  18. staff — employees
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. swing — music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. band — a ring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — for spectators

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