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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. firm — decided
  3. content — happy
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. content — the amount
  19. season — in sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. game — a match

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