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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. swing — music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stand — on your feet

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