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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. firm — decided
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. firm — a company
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — steady
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — for catching
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — to bear
  22. net — in sport
  23. march — music
  24. rash — a series

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