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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — decided
  5. mate — to breed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. firm — steady
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — to bear
  24. straw — a straw man

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