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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — boats
  9. mate — a friend
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mate — to breed
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bat — the animal

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