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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: mark · racket · fan · staff · kick · stand · bat · date

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — a stick
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — the animal
  18. kick — in football
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. staff — employees

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