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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.

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 · roll · rush · stand · land · straw · rest · foot

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. land — ground
  4. roll — a list
  5. bat — the animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — to come down
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rest — a break
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. land — a country
  18. rush — hurry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. foot — the bottom

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