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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pop — music
  5. firm — steady
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — in music
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. firm — decided
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. firm — a company
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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