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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: bat · lean · swing · pit · club · staff · hand · bear

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. club — for golf
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lean — to bend
  13. staff — a stick
  14. club — a group
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. club — for dancing
  22. hand — help
  23. staff — employees
  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