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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: squash · pop · net · rock · stand · swing · lean · mug

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mug — to rob
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — a stone
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stand — to bear
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — soda
  21. mug — a cup
  22. net — in sport
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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