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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 · track · pit · staff · bat · hide · lean · net

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — to bend
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a song
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. track — a path

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