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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 120 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: stand · track · stick · bound · bat · pitcher · object · rule

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — a path
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — a thing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stand — to bear
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rule — a law
  24. bound — certain

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