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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. current — of water
  3. firm — steady
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — a path
  6. current — electric
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. firm — a company
  18. fork — in a road
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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