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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. present — there
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rash — a series
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pass — a permit
  20. present — the time now
  21. rash — hasty
  22. present — a gift
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pass — to succeed

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