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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — decided
  6. clip — a video
  7. spell — magic
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — to bear
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. firm — a company
  22. clip — for paper
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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