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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. firm — steady
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. shower — rain
  20. track — a path
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. track — a song

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