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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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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: bat · pop · chair · cabinet · swing · rule

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rule — a law
  10. pop — music
  11. rule — government
  12. bat — the animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pop — soda
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cabinet — ministers

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