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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
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: spring · stand · racket · temple · pit · bat · pop · can

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pit — in a race
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spring — a coil
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — the season
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spring — of water

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