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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: march · track · swing · snap · bat · arm · chair · firm

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. track — a path
  3. firm — decided
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — a company
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. snap — to click
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. firm — steady
  14. track — a song
  15. march — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. track — to keep track
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chair — a leader
  23. march — the month
  24. arm — 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