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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: can · bowl · chest · foot · chair · bound · swing · stand

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chest — a box
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. swing — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — to roll

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