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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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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: firm · bat · lean · mate · fan · can · row · racket

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — to bend
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — thin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. firm — decided
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — a company
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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