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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. file — a document
  5. current — happening now
  6. rash — a series
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — a division
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. current — electric
  17. file — a tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stand — to bear
  21. current — of water
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — in an idiom

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