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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: lean · bat · fall · pop · stick · mine · ground · suit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fall — the season
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lean — thin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — the earth
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bat — the animal
  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