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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · firm · kick · ball · season · swing · current · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. firm — decided
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — electric
  11. season — in sport
  12. swing — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. firm — a company
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. season — of the year
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — a friend
  23. firm — steady
  24. swing — in golf

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