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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. last — final
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pit — a hole
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stand — to bear
  16. last — to go on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. swing — music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. swing — in golf

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