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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spring — of water
  5. track — a path
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. firm — decided
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spring — the season
  16. fall — the season
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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