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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. board — to get on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — a permit
  10. season — of the year
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. swing — music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — to bear
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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