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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — a line
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — to bear
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — after costs
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — in sport
  18. leaves — lets stay

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