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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: trunk · racket · bass · club · lean · court · swing · stand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. court — for sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. court — of a king
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — for golf
  16. swing — music
  17. court — of law
  18. swing — to play on
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. swing — in golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lean — to bend

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