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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · season · tube · bat · stand · foot · track · coach

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — the animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — of the year
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — a song

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