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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — wild animals
  9. firm — decided
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. firm — a company
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — crushed
  19. craft — boats
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ground — a position
  23. game — a match
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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