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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lean — to bend
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bat — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cue — for pool
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — thin
  21. net — for catching
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — a song
  24. net — after costs

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