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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ground · can · toast · game · stick · swing · net

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. swing — music
  3. toast — bread
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. net — in sport
  10. ground — a position
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. can — a tin
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — after costs
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. can — to be able to
  23. net — for catching
  24. game — a match

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