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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bat — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to click
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stand — to bear
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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