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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — decided
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bat — the animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. court — of a king
  11. firm — a company
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — thin
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — steady
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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