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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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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: club · pit · stand · board · foot · stick · suit · bat

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bat — the animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. board — to get on
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — to bear
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — a hole
  18. suit — to fit
  19. club — for golf
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pit — in a race
  23. board — a committee
  24. bat — in an idiom

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