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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — decided
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stand — to bear
  8. file — a document
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kid — child
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — steady
  21. kid — to tease
  22. file — a tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. date — on the calendar

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