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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. capital — money
  10. firm — a company
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. firm — decided
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mark — a grade
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stand — to bear

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