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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — government
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rule — a law
  11. firm — decided
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. last — to go on
  15. staff — employees
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. last — final
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. scale — in music
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — of the sea

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