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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 120 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: rash · suit · stand · deal · swing · cabinet · bat · row

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. swing — music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. row — a line
  14. suit — clothes
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stand — to bear
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — to handle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. deal — a big deal

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