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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: racket · band · ground · pit · swing · object · bass · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  3. band — a music group
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a ring
  7. object — a thing
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. object — to protest
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ground — the earth
  20. object — an aim
  21. ground — a position
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. swing — music
  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