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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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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: staff · roll · mate · stand · deal · track · bat · net

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. track — a song
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. track — to keep track
  7. net — in sport
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bat — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. roll — a cake
  12. net — for catching
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — to breed
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. track — a path
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mate — a partner

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