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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. swing — music
  3. court — for sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — of a king
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. march — music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. court — of law
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rule — a law
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hand — help
  24. march — the month

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