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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 116 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: ground · coach · bat · present · stand · key · chip · object

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ground — the earth
  4. present — there
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — a position
  9. object — a thing
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. object — to protest
  12. chip — to eat
  13. object — an aim
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bat — the animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — a gift

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