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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — for catching
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. content — happy
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chair — a professorship

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