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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: mate · swing · cap · march · present · nail · stand · mouse

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. march — the month
  5. stand — to bear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. mate — a partner
  12. swing — in golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — to breed
  15. swing — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. march — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. swing — to play on
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mouse — the animal

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