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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — clothes
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — the fruit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. row — a line
  9. land — to come down
  10. firm — a company
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — decided
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — in music
  23. firm — steady
  24. land — ground

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