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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: stand · hide · fall · racket · date · scale · club · lean

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — the fruit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. club — a group
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stand — to bear
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — in music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hide — animal skin

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