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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: stand · fan · arm · suit · cap · jam · bat · mug

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — a face
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bat — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mug — to rob
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fan — a supporter

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