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

Word bank: stand · chair · swing · mark · drill · club

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. swing — to play on
  5. drill — army training
  6. mark — a trace
  7. drill — the tool
  8. swing — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chair — a leader
  13. club — for golf
  14. drill — a practice
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mark — a grade
  17. club — a group
  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