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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bat — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. content — happy
  24. mine — for digging

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