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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: bass · bore · stand · squash · cell · present · swing · suit

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — a phone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bore — to tire
  12. swing — to play on
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. swing — music
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — in golf
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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