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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: arm · stand · bear · rock · swing · track · firm · clip

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. clip — to cut
  4. firm — decided
  5. track — a song
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — steady
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. clip — a video
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. track — to keep track
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — a company
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rock — music

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