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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. court — for sport
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. swing — music

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