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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: stand · object · rash · coach · patient · bat · last · band

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. object — an aim
  5. rash — hasty
  6. object — to protest
  7. last — finally
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. last — final
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stand — to bear
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. last — to go on
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — a thing
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rash — a series

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