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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. firm — decided
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wax — to grow
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. season — of the year
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cold — an illness
  24. season — in sport

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