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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: bat · coach · field · lean · foot · stand · pit · racket

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lean — thin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. field — farmland
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. field — for sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. field — a subject
  22. lean — to bend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — on your feet

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