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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — a stick
  4. net — for catching
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — a hole
  14. staff — employees
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — in a race
  17. swing — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. cold — not warm
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. swing — to play on
  24. perch — the fish

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