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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wind — moving air
  3. court — for sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cue — for pool
  14. swing — music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. board — to get on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. court — of a king
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. board — a committee
  24. suit — to fit

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