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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · rest · stand · mark · track · rash · band · firm

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. firm — a company
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — the animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. track — a song
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — decided
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — to keep track
  18. band — a ring
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — a break
  24. bat — in an idiom

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