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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: foot · racket · rule · straw · ground · suit · swing · stand

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. suit — in cards
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rule — a law
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stand — to bear
  20. swing — music
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ground — the earth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — government

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