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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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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: bat · fork · swing · bowl · cabinet · wake · stand · patient

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — to bear
  9. swing — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bowl — a football final

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