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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
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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: track · bat · stand · scale · cell · present · date · lean

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — to bear
  5. scale — in music
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bat — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. track — to keep track
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cell — a phone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cell — in biology
  17. track — a song
  18. lean — to bend
  19. present — there
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lean — thin
  23. present — a gift
  24. lean — to rest against

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