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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. field — a subject
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. field — for sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — farmland

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