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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. firm — decided
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. board — to get on
  18. race — humankind
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. firm — a company
  22. race — the arms race
  23. file — a document
  24. pit — a hole

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