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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. row — a line
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. swing — music
  10. rock — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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