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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stand — to bear
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. club — for golf
  6. present — the time now
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — humankind
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. race — a contest
  17. club — a group
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. race — the arms race

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