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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — steady
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. firm — decided
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — completely
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — a company
  24. stand — to bear

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