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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · object · sharp · bay · bark · bat · march · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — to protest
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — clever
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. march — music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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