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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: swing · club · pass · prune · stand · calf · rash · cap

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. club — a group
  8. cap — a hat
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — for golf
  14. pass — a permit
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — to bear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — in golf

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