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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 120 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: row · stand · arm · swing · hand · pitcher · ball · bear

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hand — in cards
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. swing — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bear — the animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. row — a line
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — for spectators

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