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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. court — of a king
  8. spring — the season
  9. firm — decided
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spring — a coil
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ground — the earth
  15. firm — a company
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. court — of law
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ground — a position
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — for spectators

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