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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. saw — the tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — in a road
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — decided
  24. chair — to sit on

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