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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 116 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: bat · stand · cabinet · clip · charge · swing · bear · game

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. game — a match
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — a price
  18. clip — a video
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. clip — to cut

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