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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: march · bat · safe · squash · lash · firm · racket · stand

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bat — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. squash — to crush
  24. racket — for tennis

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