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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. last — to go on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — decided
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pop — soda
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. last — finally
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. firm — a company
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — final
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. file — a document
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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