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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: court · craft · stand · swing · chair · squash · pit · stick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. swing — in golf
  10. court — of law
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — for sport
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. craft — a skill
  15. court — of a king
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — to crush

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