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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bank — of a river
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — money
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. capital — a city
  23. rock — music
  24. bank — for money

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