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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: stick · cap · pitcher · roll · court · foot · stand · lash

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. court — of law
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a lid
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stand — on your feet

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