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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 · cold · pit · bowl · swing · cabinet

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stand — to bear

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