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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. can — to be able to
  3. firm — decided
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — a company
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. march — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — to bear
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — a tin
  21. firm — steady
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stem — a stem cell

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