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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: present · stand · bat · track · straw · swing · bank · suit

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — music
  5. track — a path
  6. present — a gift
  7. bat — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. swing — to play on
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. suit — to fit
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — in golf
  22. present — there
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — to keep track

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