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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · stand · swing · object · chair · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. march — music
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — on your feet

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