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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tube — the underground
  7. firm — decided
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — a law
  12. last — finally
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — government
  20. last — final
  21. stand — to bear
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bark — of a tree

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