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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — a company
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a committee
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — decided
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. firm — steady
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. foot — the bottom

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