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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — for a lock
  5. firm — decided
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mine — for digging
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — a company
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — steady
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. key — in music

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