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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spring — of water
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. last — finally
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — the season
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a committee
  18. last — final
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. last — to go on
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — a coil

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