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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: coach · swing · stand · net · deal · date · bat · pop

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pop — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bat — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. swing — to play on
  14. net — in sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. swing — in golf
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pop — soda
  24. coach — a trainer

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