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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — there
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitch — completely
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — a committee
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a ring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a music group

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