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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: nail · row · pass · rush · stand · swing · chair · content

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — the amount
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. swing — to play on
  8. row — a line
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — to paddle
  24. swing — 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