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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. court — of law
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rash — a series
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of a king
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. temple — a place of worship

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