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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — to protest
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bark — to shout
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. suit — to fit

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