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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: object · stand · ball · swing · jam · hand · racket · bound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — certain
  4. object — to protest
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hand — help
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hand — in cards
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. object — a thing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. object — an aim

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