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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: jam · stand · race · pop · rest · swing · squash · court

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. swing — in golf
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. squash — the sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rest — what's left
  13. race — humankind
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rest — a break
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. race — the arms race
  18. swing — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — of law
  21. pop — music
  22. court — for sport
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. swing — to play on

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