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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. drill — a practice
  3. last — final
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bat — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. last — finally
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. last — to go on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. drill — army training
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. coach — a trainer

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