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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. club — for golf
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kid — child
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. swing — to play on
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. club — a group
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. club — for dancing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. swing — music

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