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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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. swing — to play on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. firm — decided
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. hand — help
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. craft — boats
  24. hand — in cards

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