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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: dip · stand · swing · fine · pitcher · roll · mate · rule

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a friend
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. roll — a list
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rule — government
  10. stand — to bear
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. swing — music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — all right
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mate — to breed
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rule — a law
  24. roll — on a roll

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