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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: row · firm · bowl · toast · vault · stand · coach · bat

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. firm — a company
  3. bat — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. row — a line
  7. toast — bread
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. firm — steady
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. firm — decided
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stand — for spectators
  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