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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — music
  8. present — the time now
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — a company
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. present — there
  21. fork — in a road
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — a gift
  24. firm — decided

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