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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — decided
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. land — to come down
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. land — a country
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fall — the season
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. firm — a company
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — steady
  20. land — ground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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