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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. board — a committee
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. firm — a company
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. track — a song
  8. cue — a hint
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. track — a path
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. board — to get on
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — certain
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rash — a series
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rash — hasty
  24. staff — employees

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