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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. firm — decided
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. net — in sport
  12. last — final
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — for catching
  15. last — finally
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. net — after costs
  24. last — to go on

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