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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — for sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — decided
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — clothes
  19. court — of a king
  20. wind — moving air
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — to add flavour

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