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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. firm — steady
  5. pound — a weight
  6. firm — a company
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — decided
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. last — final
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — a handicraft

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