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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bat — the animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — a leader

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