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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
468
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: bat · stand · fan · vault · game · racket · firm · charge

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. charge — electricity
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. charge — a price
  12. firm — decided
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. game — a match
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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