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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. firm — decided
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chair — a leader
  6. race — a contest
  7. firm — a company
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. race — humankind
  14. field — for sport
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stand — to bear
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. charge — a price
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — in control
  23. race — the arms race
  24. toast — bread

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