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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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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 · board · mug · object · branch · bat · court · lash

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. object — an aim
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. court — of a king
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. court — of law
  14. bat — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — for sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a face
  23. board — a committee
  24. object — to protest

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