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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — for paper
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — a gift
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — of ice
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — a song
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. track — a path
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. staff — a stick
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — there
  23. stand — to bear
  24. firm — steady

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