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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: bank · fall · foot · season · fan · bat · stand · swing

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fall — the season
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bank — for money
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bank — for money
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fan — a supporter

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