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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stand — to bear
  3. firm — decided
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — the month
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. clip — a video
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. march — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. clip — for paper
  18. firm — steady
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — the month

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