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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pop — to visit
  5. march — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — soda
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a document
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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