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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.

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: stand · ball · pop · object · rash · pit · bat · perch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a dance
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. rash — a series
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pop — soda
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pop — music

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