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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. firm — decided
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rock — music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. firm — a company
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. snap — to click
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — steady
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — a stone
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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