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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bound — certain
  19. land — to come down
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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