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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. board — a committee
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — to get on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hand — in cards
  24. firm — decided

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