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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: fork · fall · pass · stand · bat · pop · mine · patient

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stand — to bear
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pop — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — soda
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bat — for baseball

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