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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. firm — steady
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. court — of law
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — decided
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. firm — a company
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rush — hurry

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