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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — a tin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. club — for golf
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. can — to be able to
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. firm — a company
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — to push
  20. club — a group
  21. mark — a trace
  22. press — a publisher
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. firm — decided

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