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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: leaves · stand · court · cap · bat · row · object · lash

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. object — to protest
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bat — the animal
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a lid
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — of a king
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. court — for 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