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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 120 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: pit · cue · stand · row · swing · wind · firm · bank

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. row — a line
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — to play on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — in a race
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. firm — steady
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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