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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. firm — decided
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. chair — a leader
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bat — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stand — to bear

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