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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: rest · deal · stand · bat · game · stick · spell · ground

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ground — a position
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. game — a match
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — magic
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rest — a break
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bat — the animal

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