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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ball — a great time
  6. last — final
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rock — music
  14. last — to go on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. ruler — for measuring

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