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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: stand · fine · chest · foot · swing · pitcher · cold · pass

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. swing — music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — all right
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — to bear
  24. foot — part of the body

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