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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — help
  11. face — part of the head
  12. firm — steady
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — the amount
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. firm — a company
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stand — on your feet

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