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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — a company
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. row — to paddle
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. row — a line
  15. firm — decided
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pit — a hole
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pop — music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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