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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: pass · content · chair · racket · swing · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chair — a leader
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — music
  18. chair — a professorship

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