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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — a thing
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spring — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — the amount
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — happy
  12. band — a ring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pit — in a race
  18. band — a music group
  19. object — to protest
  20. spring — of water
  21. object — an aim
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pit — a hole
  24. racket — a loud noise

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