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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — the sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. net — in sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. firm — decided
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. squash — to crush
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. net — for catching
  15. firm — steady
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. net — after costs
  19. firm — a company
  20. object — to protest
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — for spectators

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