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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 · cue · present · date · swing · cabinet · foot · chest

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. swing — music
  4. chest — a box
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cue — for pool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. present — a gift
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. present — there
  15. cue — a signal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — the time now
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — a hint
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chest — of your body

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