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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. roll — a list
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — in music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — the season
  23. key — the most important part
  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