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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: bay · swing · bat · kick · club · stand · rule · saw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rule — government
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rule — a law
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — in football
  12. swing — music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. club — for golf
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. swing — in golf
  21. club — a group
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — to bear

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