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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. field — farmland
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. field — a subject
  8. fine — high quality
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. field — for sport
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. firm — decided
  24. craft — boats

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