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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 124 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — music
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. date — the fruit
  10. swing — in golf
  11. charge — a price
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — all right
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — high quality
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stand — for spectators

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