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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · net · swing · stand · march · charge · mine · racket

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. swing — to play on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lean — to bend
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — electricity
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. march — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. march — the month
  16. net — in sport
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. march — the month
  23. net — after costs
  24. charge — a price

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