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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — music
  4. capital — money
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — a series
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — steady
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pop — soda
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a city
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bore — to drill
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. firm — decided

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