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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — steady
  3. rock — music
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. firm — a company
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. object — a thing
  13. spell — letters
  14. object — to protest
  15. spell — magic
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — decided
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bass — low music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. object — an aim

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