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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — to drop
  5. present — the time now
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — rain
  9. season — of the year
  10. present — there
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — the season
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — certain
  17. present — a gift
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — a company
  20. shower — to wash
  21. firm — decided
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bound — tied together

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