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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. file — a tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — decided
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. file — a document
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — to get on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. firm — a company
  15. march — the month
  16. board — a committee
  17. march — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. scale — in music
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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