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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: stand · rule · staff · swing · ball · kid · bank · cell

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cell — in biology
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kid — child
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — to bear
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ball — a dance
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rule — a law
  22. bank — of a river
  23. swing — music
  24. rule — government

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