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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. swing — music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hand — help
  15. mate — a friend
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — in sport
  24. stand — to bear

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