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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: bat · stand · net · bear · rush · object · squash · tube

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — after costs
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — hurry
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. object — a thing
  16. net — for catching
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. object — to protest
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. squash — the sport

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