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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — the earth
  6. game — a match
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. firm — decided
  12. rest — a break
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. clip — a video
  15. rest — what's left
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. clip — to cut
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — a position

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