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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: pound · chair · key · mine · swing · stand · leaves · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chair — a leader
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — lets stay

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