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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wound · fine · cap · stick · stand · chip · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — all right

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