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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. hand — help
  3. present — there
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. firm — a company
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. firm — decided
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — the time now
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — a path
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — a gift

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