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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rest — a break
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — decided
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. firm — a company
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. land — ground
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bark — to shout
  24. land — a country

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