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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — steady
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. march — music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pit — in a race
  12. race — a contest
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. squash — to crush
  15. land — a country
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — a signal
  19. land — ground
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pit — a hole
  23. race — humankind
  24. firm — a company

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