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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. race — a contest
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. race — humankind
  9. band — a music group
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bass — the fish
  21. date — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. firm — decided
  24. bass — low music

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