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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: rest · fork · bay · bulb · bat · stand · cap · toast

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. toast — bread
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — on your feet

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