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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — a hint
  3. file — a line of people
  4. board — a committee
  5. cue — for pool
  6. track — a path
  7. file — a tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. firm — a company
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — to keep track
  13. file — a document
  14. cue — a signal
  15. board — to get on
  16. bound — certain
  17. bore — to drill
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bound — tied together
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. firm — decided
  23. bound — obliged
  24. track — a song

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