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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. present — there
  12. stand — to bear
  13. staff — a stick
  14. present — the time now
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — in music
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — the earth
  24. racket — for tennis

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