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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 120 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: stand · wake · stem · spell · squash · club · bat · pass

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spell — magic
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bat — the animal
  22. club — a group
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pass — a permit

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