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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. firm — decided
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — steady
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — a company
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bat — for baseball

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